Hidden figures: epistemic costs and benefits of detecting (invisible) diversity in science

Abstract

Demographic diversity might often be present in a group without group members noticing it. What are the epistemic effects if they do? Several philosophers and social scientists have recently argued that when individuals detect demographic diversity in their group, this can result in epistemic benefits even if that diversity doesn’t involve cognitive differences. Here I critically discuss research advocating this proposal, introduce a distinction between two types of detection of demographic diversity, and apply this distinction to the theorizing on diversity in science. Focusing on ‘invisible’ diversity (i.e., differences in, e.g., LGBTQ+, religious, or political orientation), I argue that in one common kind of group in science, if group members have full insight into their group’s diversity, this is likely to create epistemic costs. These costs can be avoided and epistemic benefits gained if group members only partly detect their group’s diversity. There is thus an epistemic reason for context-dependent limitations on scientists’ insight into the diversity of their group.

Space Physics: The Need for a Wider Perspective

“…Members of the group can differ, for example, concerning gender, ethnic background and age. Diversity in a team is not without problems but I think the positive aspects dominate (Carter and Phillips, 2017;Stangor, 2017;Peters, 2021). This is one reason to achieve roughly equal numbers of female and male scientists at all academic ranks (Coe et al, 2019;Popp et al, 2019).…”

O papel epistêmico da diversidade e as origens metafísicas da teoria do Big Bang: reflexões para a educação científica

“…Entretanto, a diversidade demográfica nem sempre leva a diversidade cognitiva e, por sua vez, diversidade cognitiva não leva automaticamente a benefícios epistemológicos. A questão central se torna então saber em quais condições diversidade demográfica resulta em diversidade cognitiva epistemologicamente benéfica para a produção do conhecimento científico (PETERS, 2021;ROLIN, 2019).…”